


Sixth Time's The Charm

by Cerdic519



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 5+1 Things, Bars and Pubs, Castiel Wearing Dean Winchester's Clothes, Gardens & Gardening, Healing, M/M, Milkshakes, Pie, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-25
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-03 08:34:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 1,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5283962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerdic519/pseuds/Cerdic519
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam Winchester is very observant. Well, most of the time....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The first time, it was kinda funny. They'd taken down a nest of vamps which had been larger than anticipated, and they were all a bit bruised. Castiel was low on mojo, but as always insisted in healing the brothers. Hoping that Dean would just suck it up and let him do his thing, Sam decided to let the angel heal him first, and then the two of them could persuade/bully the elder Winchester into it.

Instead, Dean just came into the motel room, threw his bag onto the bed, and went and knelt in front of the angel, who healed him in seconds (and why did Dean get a hand around his jaw, whilst his brother only got two fingers on the forehead?). Sam stared in surprise. No whining? No complaining? Had someone swapped his brother for someone else?

“Sam?” Cas said, inquiringly.

The younger Winchester snapped out of his daze, and went over to the angel. No, Dean must have just decided not to fuss for once. Miracles did happen occasionally.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shake it all about.

They were still an hour out from the Bunker, and Sam was freakin' hungry. Cas was riding shotgun this time, so the younger Winchester leaned over the bench-seat and tried to catch his brother's eye in the mirror.

“Dean?” he whined. “I'm starving. Can we stop for burgers? There's a place ahead that does salads.”

“No”, his brother said, refusing to catch his puppy-dog eyes, worse luck. “There's burgers back at the Bunker, and a bowl of your rabbit-food. And my pie. You'll be fed soon enough.”

Sam was just about to whine that that would be ages before he got fed, when the angel turned his tousled head (it was a mess even before he had stuck it out of the window, presumably to avoud Dean's choice of 'tunes').

“That place does do delicious shakes, Dean", he said hopefully, his voice dripping with longing.

Sam chuckled to himself. Like Cas could persuade his brother to pull over when....

“'Kay, Cas.”

What the...?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is pie - to start with

It was the third incident which started to worry Sam, and it was a small thing, yet strikingly significant. Two days after the shake stop, they were all sat around the table in the Bunker. Sam had his fruit dessert, and Dean, inevitably, had pie. Cas, who did not of course need to eat, had nevertheless shared a burger with them, and was at the head of the table in his signature trench-coat, looking as uncomfortable as ever, as Dean sat down with the jug of custard and tried to drown his pie with it. Sam could hear the calorie count blasting off towards the Moon.

“That looks interesting”, Cas observed, his head tilted to one side.

Dean looked up, caught the angel's eye and smiled at him – and promptly slid plate and spoon across the table to him! Sam stared in shock.

“I'll get some more”, Dean beamed. “You tuck in, Cas.”

Sam wondered briefly if the apocalypse had started and no-one had bothered to inform him. His brother had just given up his own pie. Without complaining or being threatened. Holy Chuck!

“You look constipated, Sammy”, Dean said as he returned to the table. “What's up?”

No. This was a conversation Sam did not want to have, because he knew how defensive and antsy Dean would get. He just shrugged and spooned up some more peaches.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything in the garden is.....

Four days on, Sam returned from town to find what looked like half a freaking garden center had been dumped outside their reinforced front door. Dean was checking a list against everything. 

“What's all this?” the younger Winchester asked in amazement.

“Cas asked for it”, Dean said. “He wanted to take over running the herb garden, and suggested, er, one or two more things to spruce the place up a bit.”

It was true that, as hunters, they often needed herbs in their work, and also true that the small patches outside the back could have benefited from being upgraded. But this? Sam spotted a trellis, Chuck alone knew how many plants, bags of fertilizer and packets of seeds – this was overkill and then some!

"One or two?" Sam echoed, eyeing what were definitely primulas. 

"Yeah", Dean said dismissively. "Keep the little guy busy, you know."

A Bad Thought crossed Sam's mind, so naturally he voiced it. 

“You're afraid Cas will leave again!” he blurted out. “This is your way of keeping him here! That's so sweet!"

Dean's blush was wonderful to behold. He glared at his brother angrily.

“Shaddup, and get a haircut!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam Winchester makes a smart decision, and Cas wears a plaid shirt. Of Dean's.

No-one with the power of sight would have described either Winchester as fashionable, and Sam quite liked buying his jeans, plaid shirts and boots in the same shop every time. At least he always knew what he was getting. And if Dean had dressed in anything else in the Bunker, Sam would have had a fit. So when the younger Winchester rounded a corner that morning and saw the familiar turquoise plaid, work boots and old jeans, he called out to his brother.

Except that it was Cas. The Angel of the Lord, wearing what were not just Winchester 'fashion' accessories, but from the slight rip in that shirt, Sam knew full well that it was one of Dean's favorites. Dean, who bitched and moaned if Sam even borrowed a pair of socks of his, yet was letting Mr. 'Personal Space' wear his shirt.

“I am starting work on the garden today”, the angel said primly, pulling Sam out of his shock, “and Dean said I could borrow some of his old clothes.”

Sam belatedly realized that his brother was sat at the table. Cleaning his gun. He made a rapid and most certainly correct calculation that the remark he had been about to utter might not be in his best interests.

“Good of you”, he said, wishing his voice was at least an octave lower. Because this was his brother Dean, whom he knew - well, had thought he knew. Dean was letting the angel wear his favorite clothes.

Dean pointedly clicked the gun he was cleaning, giving his brother what was most definitely a warning look. Sam swallowed hard, and smiled at the angel as the smaller man walked towards the back door. Unfortunately, said angel was clearly not in the mood to help him. He stopped at the door, and gave Dean a look of such undying love that even the younger Winchester could feel it.

“Thank you for the shirt, Dean”, the angel smiled.

“No problemo”, Dean reassured him, smiling back. He stared after the retreating angel (or possibly at the retreating angel's butt, Sam's brain unhelpfully pointed out), then picked up another gun and looked again at his brother. 

“Nice weather”, Sam said weakly. "I'll.... be in my room. Bye!"

He fled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam officially 'finds out', and has a phone call to make.

Mercifully for Sam's sanity (and his efforts at Not Commenting On The Bleeding Obvious), it all came to a head three days later at a bar somewhere in Kansas, on their way back from a hunt in the east of that state. The barmaid was, Sam thought, very much standard Winchester fantasy made flesh, a leggy brunette who was unable to do up the top two buttons on her blouse because.... well, because. And when the three of them ordered their beers and then had to retreat to the table because of the crowds, Dean had that Look on his face. As did the angel, except in his case it was Standard Confused.

The barmaid called out to them and Cas, being nearest, went to collect the drinks. The brothers watched as she placed them on a tray and, to Sam's amazement, actually started flirting with the clueless angel. He turned to Dean to have a laugh about it, and froze.

His brother looked murderous!

Dean actually snarled as he shot to his feet, and crossed the distance to the angel in three long strides. Reaching him, he immediately looped one arm around Cas, who to Sam's surprise promptly eased back into the hunter's personal space. If looks could have killed, the astonished barmaid would have dropped dead on the spot, but instead Dean quickly guided the angel towards the door, slowing only briefly as he passed their table.

“You might wanna get a room of your own tonight, Sammy boy”, he hissed. “Cas and me will be busy!”

The smug look on the angel's face was heart-warming for the younger Winchester, as Dean dragged him out of the bar. Smiling in relief, Sam reached for his mobile and phoned Bobby.

He had winnings to collect.


End file.
